Women of the Nation: Between Black Protest and Sunni Islam

Presents oral histories and interviews of women who belong to Nation of Islam

With vocal public figures such as Malcolm X, Elijah Muhammad, and Louis Farrakhan, the Nation of Islam often appears to be a male-centric religious movement, and over 60 years of scholarship have perpetuated that notion. Yet, women have been pivotal in the NOI's development, playing a major role in creating the public image that made it appealing and captivating.

Women of the Nation draws on oral histories and interviews with approximately 100 women across several cities to provide an overview of women's historical contributions and their varied experiences of the NOI, including both its continuing community under Farrakhan and its offshoot into Sunni Islam under Imam W.D. Mohammed. The authors examine how women have interpreted and navigated the NOI's gender ideologies and practices, illuminating the experiences of African-American, Latina, and Native American women within the NOI and their changing roles within this patriarchal movement. The book argues that the Nation of Islam experience for women has been characterized by an expression of Islam sensitive to American cultural messages about race and gender, but also by gender and race ideals in the Islamic tradition. It offers the first exhaustive study of women's experiences in both the NOI and the W.D. Mohammed community.

Author: Dawn-Marie Gibson, Jamillah Karim
Publisher: New York University Press
Published: 07/11/2014
Pages: 288
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.87lbs
Size: 9.11h x 5.99w x 0.68d
ISBN: 9780814737866

Review Citation(s):
Choice 06/01/2015

About the Author
Gibson, Dawn-Marie: - Dawn-Marie Gibson is a Lecturer in Twentieth-Century U.S History in the Department of History at Royal Holloway, University of London.Karim, Jamillah: - Jamillah Karim is an international lecturer in race, gender, and Islam in America. She was formerly Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Spelman College. She is the author of American Muslim Women: Negotiating Race, Class, and Gender within the Ummah.